Volunteering at Hopelink can be a rewarding experience that offers an opportunity to engage with our clients, work with amazing staff, and contribute to the greater community! Hopelink offers a wide range of volunteering opportunities to fit your needs. Most of our volunteer opportunities occur Monday through Thursday during regular business hours. All Hopelink volunteers are placed based on the individual or group’s availability and Hopelink’s needs. Learn more about all that Hopelink offers for volunteers below!
Ready to Volunteer?
Here’s How:
Individual Volunteering
Sign up to volunteer:
- Fill out our online volunteer application. Once we have processed your background check, we will invite you to attend a virtual volunteer orientation. Please allow up to one week to process your application.
- Register for the required volunteer orientation session (once the background check has been completed, you will be invited to orientation).
- Age requirements: The minimum age to volunteer is 16 years old and some jobs may require volunteers to be at least 18.
- Many shifts repeat weekly for folks looking to volunteer continuously.
Please contact the Volunteer Program with any questions regarding individual or community service volunteering, volunteerwithus@hopelink.org or (425)869-6066.
Community Service Volunteering
Hopelink has limited opportunities to complete court-ordered community service. If you are looking to complete court-ordered community service, please contact volunteerwithus@hopelink.org or (425) 869-6066.
Requirements
- Pass a Washington State Patrol background check.
- Meet age requirements, minimum age to volunteer is 16.
- Attend an orientation at one of Hopelink’s 5 centers.
- A minimum of 20 hours commitment (even if the court mandate or school requirement is less) and a minimum 3-month commitment. Confirmation of service hours will not be provided until you complete 20 hours.
Ready to volunteer?
Fill out our online volunteer application, once we have processed your background check, we will invite you to attend a volunteer orientation.
Group Volunteering
We are excited to work with your group to find an opportunity that fits your needs and ours. Group volunteer experiences are in addition to our regular volunteer roles and do take additional time and effort for our staff to coordinate. While we do not charge fees for group volunteering, we do encourage all groups to consider how they can utilize their time, treasure, and talent to best serve the needs of our community and make your impact stretch as far as possible.
Looking to volunteer with your group? Please keep the following in mind:
- Group volunteering is incredibly popular and, as a result, group opportunities can fill up far in advance. Especially during more popular times (October-December). We recommend signing up as soon as possible (we can sign up groups up to 4 months in advance).
- Our group experiences are best for groups of 5-10 people. We can potentially accommodate groups of up to 15 people at Food Bank Farm in Snohomish between June-September.
- All members of your group must be at least 16 years old.
- Group opportunities are available in the following Hopelink programs:
Kirkland Warehouse Volunteering: These opportunities take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings as well as Friday afternoons and groups help to sort donations into categories and work on other projects as needed.
Weekly Dinners at Avondale Park: These opportunities take place on Wednesday evenings and groups provide, prepare (onsite or off), and serve a meal to around 50 of our Avondale Park residents.
Gleaning: During these afternoon opportunities, groups join us a local farm to harvest fresh produce for our markets.
- Larger groups or groups that are looking for times outside of our group times can still make a difference! Find out more information about hosting a food or fund drive.
Please contact Liz, ewaesche@hopelink.org for more information.
Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Last year, 1,992 volunteers donated 50,404 hours to help people in our community. Please join us! Hopelink volunteers have the opportunity to assist in the following programs.
Adult Education
Adult education opportunities are more limited than our food program opportunities and are not recruited for all year round. Volunteers in this program are placed based on Hopelink and Hopelink’s student needs.
Food Program Drivers
Pick up food from grocery stores weekday mornings and deliver to Hopelink Food Markets. Or help us deliver food to home-bound clients.
General Food Market
Check clients in and out. Receive, sort, and stock food donations. Greet donors and provide receipts when needed. Clean up and organize food markets as needed.
Mobility Management
Get people in King County moving! We empower people to change their lives by facilitating access to the community. Come teach, learn, and experience what mobility means to the folks in your neighborhood.
Special Events
Assist Hopelink in our fundraising and community events.
Volunteer FAQ
Frequently asked questions about volunteering at Hopelink. Thank you for your interest!
To begin the registration process, please fill out online application. Once the initial screening and background check are completed (please allow up to a week to run your background check), we will send you a confirmation email with orientation dates. Note: All Hopelink volunteers (with the exception of one-time group volunteers) must pass a background check, regardless of age.
Hopelink requires that all volunteers are at least 16 years old. Some positions may require volunteers to be older.
We make every effort to place volunteers in the program of their choice. However, all volunteer positions are subject to availability. Some positions may have skill requirements.
While each position’s commitment requirements vary, most volunteers serve around 4 hours per month. Volunteers are not required to volunteer daily.
We love utilizing the unique skills of our community! Please contact Liz at ewaesche@hopelink.org or 425.897.3721 to find out how you can help.
Hopelink’s volunteer orientation is designed to give you an overview of the agency, our policies, and procedures, and to go into more detail about the different volunteer opportunities available to you. Volunteer orientation takes 90 minutes. Virtual orientations are held 2-4 times a month online.
Yes! Please contact us at ewaesche@hopelink.org or (425) 897-3721. Most opportunities occur between regular business hours. All volunteer opportunities are subject to availability and agency need.